Man, 64, dies in Highway 89 collision north of Truckee

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TRUCKEE, Calif. - A Northern California man died Saturday afternoon following a collision with a roadside tree north of Truckee, officials said Monday.

Steven Metzgar, 64, of Meadow Vista, Calif., was driving a 2000 Lexus ES 300 southbound on Highway 89, north of Hobart Mills Road and west of Prosser Creek Reservoir, at a high rate of speed when his vehicle drifted to the right and went off the road, colliding with a large tree at about 1:50 p.m. Saturday, according to a California Highway Patrol press release

The vehicle caught fire with Metzgar still inside, said Pete Mann, public information officer for CHP; the fire was quickly extinguished by passing motorists. Metzgar suffered fatal injuries upon impact - he was wearing a seatbelt - and was pronounced dead at the scene.

It is not known if drugs and/or alcohol contributed to the cause of the accident, according to CHP. The collision is still under investigation.